Trunk.



. O. H. PAXTON.

TRUNK. APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1908. 969,900. Patented Sept. 13,1910.

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CfH. PAXTON.

TRUNK.

APPLICATION rum) APR. 9, 1908.

969,900, Patented se t.13,1910.

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0. H; PAXTON.

TRUNK.

APPLICATION rmm APR.9,1908. 969,900, Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

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Patented Sept. 13,1910.

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H H E3 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS H. PAXTON, OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN.

TRUNK.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUS I-I. PAXTON, residing in Oshkosh, in the county of \Vinnebago and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trunks, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to improvements in trunks and more particularly to that class known as wardrobe trunks.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a trunk in which the clothes hangers, trays and drawers may be conveniently drawn outwardly from the trunk so that clothes placed in any part of the trunk are accessible for removal without disturbing the contents of the rest of the trunk.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trunk in which the hangers, trays and drawers may be drawn outwardly to separate the clothes on the hangers for the purpose of airing and to prevent wrinkling Without entirely removing them from the trunk.

A further object of this invention is to construct a trunk provided with hangers, trays, drawers and compartments adapted to contain a complete wardrobe, provision being made so that there is a place for everything and that articles of clothing will be kept in the best possible shape without unnecessary folding and consequent wrinkling.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the parts and combination of parts, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters denote similar parts in all of the views: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved trunk with the doors swung to an open position to show the interior arrangement of parts; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking toward the left with the trays and drawers partly withdrawn from the trunk, parts also being broken away to show interior construction; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the same line as Fig. 2 but looking toward the right, showing the hangers drawn forward for convenient accessibility; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on a line just above the trays, with the sliding tray withdrawn from the trunk and swung on its hinges and the other Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 13, 1910,

Application filed April 9, 1908.

Serial No. 426,002.

tray being partly Withdrawn, a part of the sliding tray being broken away to illustrate interior arrangement; Fig. 5 is an inverted plan View of the hanger holder removed from the trunk, parts being in section; Fig. 6 is a detail view of a fragment of the hinge and slide of the sliding tray; and Fig. 7 is a detail partly in section, showing the tongue of the sliding tray, in engagement with the grooved member connected to one of the side walls of the trunk.

The numeral 10 indicates the main portion or body of the trunk which is preferably rectangular in form, with its greatest length in a vertical position when serving as a wardrobe. The doors 11 on one side of the trunk are hinged thereto in the ordinary manner and are provided with angle irons 12 on their top, bottom and rear edges. A portion of the angle iron is adapted to closely lap over the front edge of the body of the trunk to make a tight closure when the doors are in locked position.

It will be noticed that the inwardly bent portions of the angle irons and the tops and bottom of the doors proper are spaced apart a distance to form grooves 11 which are adapted to receive the top and bottom front edges of the trunk body, which extend forwardly of the sides, when the doors are in a closed position thereby securely holding and bracing the top and bottom of the trunk body from collapsing or expanding. These angle irons also serve to reinforce and strengthen the trunk from strains in all directions. The trunk is provided with the usual metal reinforcen'lcnts to insure the proper rigidity and strength and the doors are locked by means of three locks, one being connected to the upper portion of one of the doors, another to the medial portion of the other door, and the third to the bottom portion of the trunk, thus insuring a strong connection between the doors and the body of the trunk. The top of the trunk is provided with a raised, rounded or swelled portion 13 adapted to clearly indicate the top of the trunk so that the trunk will not be carelessly placed upside down in shipping or in a room, as the raised portion is of suflicient height and shape to provide an insecure base to rest the trunk upon. This raised portion also strengthens the top of the trunk and provides a convenient place to attach one of the strap handles 14, the other handle being fastened to the bottom of the trunk. The bottom of the trunk is provided with four rollers for convenience in moving.

Referring to the interior arrangement of the trunk the numeral 15 indicates a hinged sliding tray which is slidably and pivotally connected to the upper portion of the trunk by means of tongues 16, the greater lengths of which are rigidly connected to the sliding tray, sliding in grooved members 17 fastened to one of the sides of the trunk. The tongues 16 are in two parts hinged together by a hinge member 18 and the free end 16 is adapted to permit the tray to be swung at an angle to the side of the trunk when the tray is pulled outwardly to a position where the pivots of the hinges will extend a slight distance beyond the front edge of the trunk side. This position of the tray permits convenient access to a shirt-waist compartment 19 formed in the side of the tray. This compartment is provided with a supporting rod 20 and a number of hangers 21 suspended therefrom. A cover 22 adjustably held in place by buckled straps 23 forms a cover for the compartment and is also adapted to be drawn fairly snug against the waists to hold them in position against accidental disarrangement. The sliding tray is prevented from being entirely withdrawn from the trunk by means of the stop plates 24 fastened to the tongue 16 and having their ends bent at right angles over and under the grooved members 17. The bent ends of the stop plates strike against stops 25 fastened to the grooved members 17 near their outer ends and in the path of movement of said plates. The stops are positioned so that when the stop plates are in engagement therewith the sliding tray will be in proper position to be swung on its hinges. The stop plates 24, also act as strengthening members to the wooden slides, supporting said slides from top to bottom when the tray is withdrawn from the trunk and in a hanging position on hinges, the stop plates being so attached to the slides when the tray is swung out that the weight of the tray cannot break the wooden slides. The sliding tray is also provided with two drawers 26 and a vertical tray 27 for containing the smaller articles of clothing.

A hat drawer 28 sliding on ways 29 fastened to the bottom of the trunk beneath the sliding tray is provided with a number of hat holding forms 30 attached to the sides of the drawer for conveniently holding hats thereon. A small compartment 31 provided with a removable tray 32 is formed in the front portion of the hat drawer. The sliding tray 15 occupies a space slightly less than one half of the width of the trunk and the hat drawer occupies a space somewhat wider than the sliding tray thereby providing a compartment 38 between the sides of the tray and drawer and the side of the trunk adapted to hold skirts and other outer garments full length without folding.

Brackets 34L fastened to the sides and top of the trunk are adapted to support pairs of tracks on each side of the trunk. These tracks are positioned close to the top of the trunk and are offset a slight distance from the sides thereof to provide clearance for the flanges 0f grooved rollers 36 which ride on the tracks and are held in engagement therewith by means of the flanges. The rollers form part of a clothes holding carrier 87 which extends across from one side of the trunk to the other and is adapted to be withdrawn from a medial position in the trunk to its forward open side. This carrier consists of a horizontal rod portion 38 extending across the trunk from one roller to the other and forming the axles of said rollers and a rear wardly extending brace rod 39 provided with a vertical headed pin 40 adapted to play in the slot al of the guide plate 42. The head of the vertical pin rides on the upper surface of the guide plate and being of greater size than the width of the slot it holds the brace rod in its horizontal position but permits it to play back and forth in the slot. This vertical pin is positioned as far to the rear of the rollers as possible in order to eliminate any possibility of the carrier binding, in drawing it toward the front of the trunk even though the carrier is grasped and pulled from one side; lVhen the carrier is in its inner position it is desirable to lock it in position against any movement, and to accomplish this result a hinged locking member 43 provided with a recess 44- in its rear end is pivotally connected to the top of the sliding tray and its recessed end is adapted to engage the rod and lock it in its inner position when the locking member is swung to a vertical position and the tray is slid into the trunk. If it is desired to draw out the carrier the sliding tray is drawn outwardly a short distance until the locking member becomes disengaged from the rod of the carrier.- The locking member is then swung downwardly, and the carrier is then free to be drawn to the front of the trunk.

Clothes hangers 45 provided with hooks 46 i are suspended from the rod 37 of the carrier, and are adapted to hold suits and skirts full length without folding. A follower frame 47 suspended from the carrier rod by a snap hook adjustably and held in position by means of buckled straps 48 passing through loop 49 fastened to the side and rear walls of the trunk is adapted to securely hold the clothes suspended from the hangers in the best possible position to prevent wrinkling.

It will be noticed that the upper portion of the compartment 83 is of greater width than the lower portion, the purpose of which is to provide a larger space above for the shorter garments of which there is usually a greater number than the longer ones.

The shirt waist compartment is so located as to form a continuation of the compartment 33 so that if the shirt waists in this compartment exceed the limit of space they may extend into the compartment 33, or if the garments suspended from the carrier rod exceed their allotted space they may extend into the shirt waist compartment thus providing for an excess amount of clothing in either one of these comrmrtments.

An eye 50 is fastened to the top of the trunk a short distance from its front edge and is adapted to accommodate the hook of one of the hangers to suspend the hangers while removing or replacing a garment thereon or to hold a garment for a short period of time.

One of the doors of the trunk is provided withan umbrella or cane holding means consisting of a recessed block 51, a pair of buckled straps 52 adapted to st up the umbrellas or canes to the door and a block 5?, to support the lower ends thereof. All of the drawers and trays are provided with strap handles for convenience in withdrawing same from the trunk.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a wardrobe trunk is provided which is very strong in structure and is very easy of access and very convenient, in that the trays or drawers may be removed or inserted independent of each other. The sliding tray may be slid outwardly and turned on its hinges to a position to get at the contents of the shirt waist compartment or to provide space the full width of the trunk so that the clothes suspended from the carrier rod be slid along to occupy the entire space for the purpose of airing and smoothing out the wrinkles of the same. The carrier and its supported garments may also he slid out to the front portion of the trunk for convenience in removing the same. The hat drawer may also be conveniently removed from the trunk for removing or replacing the hats or other articles contained therein. The canes and umbrellas are conveniently held to the door and easily removed by loosening the straps.

The improvements mentioned are adapted for use with trunks of various kinds and sizes but are more particularly adapted for use with socalled wardrobe trunks.

V'Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A trunk, comprising a trunk body having an open front side provided with a door, a tray positioned within and adjacent to one side of the trunk body, a compartment having a sideopening formed in one side of the tray, tongue members connected to said tray, other tongue members having a hinged connection with the first mentioned tongue members, grooved guiding member-s connected to the inner side of the trunk body and in which the tongue members slide, and stops whereby the tray is limited in its sliding movement to a position permitting said tray to be swung in a direction at an angle to its sliding movement to move the open side of the compartment to a position of convenient accessibility.

2. A trunk, comprising a trunk body hav ing an open front side provided with a door, a carrier rod positioned within the trunk body and extending transversely across the upper portion thereof, a tray positioned within the trunk body and having a sliding and a swinging connection therewith, and means for locking the tray to the carrier rod.

3. A trunk, comprising a trunk body hav ing an open front side provided with a door, a carrier rod positioned within the trunk body and extending transversely across the upper portion thereof, a tray positioned within the trunk body and having a sliding and a' swinging connection therewith, and a locking member provided with a recess connected to the tray and positioned to engage the carrier rod when the tray is moved into the trunk.

4-. A trunk, comprising a trunk body having an open front side provided with a door, a carrier rod positioned within the trunk body and extending transversely across the upper portion thereof, a tray positioned within the trunk body and having a sliding and a swinging connection therewith, and a hinged locking member provided with a recess connected to the t try and positioned to be swung upwardly to engage the carrier rod when the tray is moved into the trunk.

5. A trunk, comprising a trunk body having an open front side provided with a door, a carrier rod positioned within the trunk body and extending transversely across the upper portion thereof, a tray positioned within the trunk body, tongue members connected to the tray, other tongue members having a hinged connection with the first mentioned tongue members, grooved guiding members connected to the inner side of the trunk body and in which the tongue members slide, and a locking member provided with a recess connected to the tray and positioned to engage the carrier rod when the tray is moved into the trunk.

6. A trunk, comprising a trunk body having an open front side provided with a door, a carrier rod positioned within the trunk body and extending transversely across the upper portion thereof, a tray positioned within the trunk body, drawers within said tray, a compartment provided with hangers and a strapped adjustable cover formed in the side of said tray, tongue members connected to the tray, other tongue members having a hinged connection with the first mentioned tongue members, grooved guiding members connected to the inner side of the trunk body and in which the tongue members slide, a sliding drawer located beneath the tray, stops provided on the tongue and grooved member to limit the tray in its sliding movement to permit said tray to be swung in a direction at an angle to its sliding movement, and a locking member provided with a recess connected to the tray and positioned to engage the carrier rod when the tray is moved into the trunk.

7. A trunk, comprising a trunk body having an open front side provided with a door,

a tray positioned within the trunk body and having a two part supporting member connected thereto, the two parts of said member being hinged together, a guide member 7 connected to one of the side walls and which 20 is engaged by the two part member, a supporting rod extendingtransversely across the trunk, and a locking member carried by the tray and positioned to engage the rod.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa- 25 

